Studies of pitch mechanisms based on perceptual learning
Abstract
Mechanisms of pitch perception were studied using perceptual learning. In one set of studies, subjects discriminated the fundamental frequency (F0) of a target group of harmonics embedded in a background of harmonics with fixed F0. The results were potentially affected by pitch discrimination interference (PDI) and by cues related to pitch pulse asynchrony (PPA) between the target and background. Large learning effects occurred when PPA cues were available. Training was given using a stimulus with cosine-phase harmonics and high harmonics in the target, under conditions where PPA was not useful. Learning occurred, and it transferred to other cosine-phase, but not to random-phase, tones. The learning may reflect improvements in the ability to overcome PDI. In a second set of studies, F0 discrimination was measured for tones with cosine- or random-phase harmonics, bandpass filtered with five harmonics within the passband and presented in threshold-equalizing noise. Groups trained with LOW, MID, or MID-HIGH stimuli (harmonics 1-5, 11-15, or 14-18, respectively) showed learning effects that transferred to other stimuli except HIGH (28-32). A group trained with HIGH stimuli showed no learning effect, suggesting that a different mechanism was used for the HIGH stimuli than for the other stimuli. We propose that the LOW, MID, and MID-HIGH stimuli were discriminated using temporal fine structure information.
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